Romtec Utilities has experienced many pump station projects that do not have accurate site plans prior to installation. We have also experienced jobs with precise site plans. The difference between these two scenarios can be the difference of days and weeks in project timelines and dozens of hours of engineering services. Romtec Utilities strongly recommends that new pumping system projects obtain an accurate site plan early in the engineering phase of the pumping system.
The problem of inaccurate site plans typically begins with the nature of a pump station plot. Since these sites are typically untaxed public properties, it makes sense that their size is kept to a minimum. In many scenarios, these sites are essentially “walled in” by private property and cannot be expanded. This fact alone makes the engineering of a pump station tight when elements like controls panels, generators, and classified spaces are considered.
In many municipal districts, the as-built drawings with piping and conduit locations for a site plan may have been lost to time or were never accurate to start. As this is a fairly common situation, engineering firms should address the site plans early in a pump station project. A pumping system is a sophisticated piece of engineering designed to fit the specific conditions of an individual site. If the site plans are discovered to be off, the system engineering cannot simply be “rearranged” but, rather, must be completely redesigned.
Romtec Utilities does not charge for design services when one of our pumping systems is purchased, but there is still the potential for substantial losses to the customer when a site plan is discovered to be incorrect after a system is engineered. The biggest loss will typically be time. First, a correct site plan must be provided. Then, the system must be redesigned to meet the new site conditions. Depending on the severity of the differences, this time can push deadlines way out and require extensive outside engineering fees to create the new site plan.
All of these probable delays and costs are completely avoided when a site plan is known to be correct before the pumping system is engineered. This makes the process transition quickly and painlessly between, the site engineer, Romtec Utilities, the reviewing agency, and the installing contractor. Taking this approach to a site plan is the best scenario for getting a pump station on-time and on-budget.
After you get a new pump station, Romtec Utilities advocates maintaining records of all the as-built drawings and site conditions. This will benefit future projects that will take place on the site. Romtec Utilities provides our customers with all of the complete system documentation, including the as-built drawings and site layouts. After working on projects with good and bad site plans, we try to give our customers everything they need to avoid bad situation with their site, now and in the future.